Anyone compared Marmot Pounder Plus with The North Face Fission?

[Anatoly IVANOV]

Has anyone compared Marmot Pounder Plus with The North Face Fission sleeping bags? Or, even better, slept in… or got one of the two or both?

I have the Marmot Pounder (without the plus) and the The North Face Cat’s Meow. I’m looking for something in between the two. Warmer than the Pounder, but, more compressible and lighter than the Cat’s Meow. Also possibly colder than the Cat’s Meow. Synthetic only, of course.

I am amazed by the weight and super-compressibility of the Pounder. However, I think its temperature rating is a bit optimistic.

Thank you for any feedback or information,

[Richard Nelridge]

The Rock and Ice Article:

http://tinyurl.com/bwsh4

confirms your observaion regarding the warmth of the Marmot Pounder. They suggest a temperature range of about 55 degrees F. The Rock and Ice Article also looks at 6 Light weight down sleeping bags (all about 1 pound) (I know that you are looking for a synthetic bag, but the article may prove of value).

Rich

[Anatoly IVANOV]

” The Rock and Ice Article confirms your observation regarding the warmth of the Marmot Pounder. They suggest a temperature range of about 55 degrees F. “

Thanks for the link, Richard!

Yes, I would rate the Marmot Pounder around +13 C / +55 F as well. Which is perfect for me for the summer in the Alps. I have always found bags precisely rated for +5 / +40 F to be too warm for July and August up to about 3 000 m / 9 900 ft.

I guess that The North Face Fission will be a bit colder than The North Face Cat’s Meow because it does not have an “insulated chest level heat trap baffle” and the hood baffle looks skinnier as well.

By the way, I think the best rating system is the EN13537. This European standard is now used by The North Face Europe and Ajungilak/Mammut. I find this system to be more realistic and it does seem to correlate to my personal experiences.

[Jason Shaffer]

I have no experience w/ Marmot’s Pounder, but the TNF Fission is a favorite of mine. I can confirm your suspicion, its not ~quite~ as warm as the cat’s meow — but the fission is one of the most efficient synth bags I know of for its rating. It surely represents a higher warmth:wt ratio than the Cat’s Meow.

I’ve posted my thoughts on it, and info about the contexts I use it in, here

A few things I’ll clarify: I like this bag primarily in the 0* to 35*F range (w/ tarp, bmw bivy, and clothing), when weather is wet, or on trips of 5 days or more when condensation is a major issue. As a more typical 3-season bag, I think it is too warm, too heavy, and not compressible enough (at least compared to my choice for THAT application, which is a down top bag). But in the above context, the Fission shines. ;)

[Ryan Jordan]

The TNF Cat’s Meow has for years been my favorite synthetic bag for mountaineering. I’ve recently switched to a Fission, and despite the lack of a collar, I think it’s warmer than the Cat’s Meow.

It’s a trimmer cut than the Meow, so traps heat more efficiently. The downside to this is that i can layer few clothes in it – no down parka and pants for winter trips, although a cocoon pullover and pants is ok, and this combo gets me down to 10 degrees easily.

I can’t compare it to the Pounder Plus, I haven’t used that one.

[Anatoly IVANOV]

Thanks a lot for the feedback!

It’s interesting to note that Jason and Ryan diverge when they compare Fission’s warmth to that of Cat’s Meow…

What about durability? The Fission apparently uses welding instead of stitching… how does that hold up?

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